{"product_id":"the-wire-a-cultural-history-9781538181201","title":"The Wire: A Cultural History","description":"\u003cb\u003eA critical and insightful exploration of arguably the greatest television show of the twenty-first century.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIn the two decades since \u003ci\u003eThe Wire\u003c\/i\u003e first aired, the show has only continued to grow in cultural relevance as America has seen domestic terrorism increase, race relations become ever tenser, political populism become increasingly sectarian, health inequalities worsen, incarceration rates for Black Americans skyrocket, and grassroots racial activism grow. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIn The Wire\u003ci\u003e A Cultural History\u003c\/i\u003e, Ben Lamb explores how the twenty-first century's greatest television show changed international perceptions of American policing, drug laws, and race relations forever, and instigated our obsessive streaming of television series. Starting with David Simon's life story and how he came to devise \u003ci\u003eThe Wire\u003c\/i\u003e, Lamb takes readers through the casting process for the show's iconic characters and uncovers the stories behind their real-life counterparts; journeys through a complete history of the American cop show to deduce which key programs \u003ci\u003eThe Wire\u003c\/i\u003e emulates; traces the economic, social, and racial history of Baltimore from the port to the school system; and outlines how the show's interest in newspapers predicted the rise of populism across world politics. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eFilled with fascinating behind-the-scenes anecdotes and critical insights, everyone from die-hard fans to casual viewers will learn something new about how \u003ci\u003eThe Wire \u003c\/i\u003ehas impacted university courses, the city of Baltimore itself, the Black Lives Matter movement, worldwide drug trafficking laws, and our modern television landscape. As America faces its biggest socio-economic crossroads in generations, this is a must read for television fans interested in how our favorite shows reflect our shifting cultures and politics.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBen Lamb\u003c\/b\u003e is the world's leading expert on British television police series. He is a corresponding editor for \u003ci\u003eCritical Studies in Television: The International Journal of Television Studies\u003c\/i\u003e and the author of \u003ci\u003eYou're Nicked: Investigating British Television Police Series\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Rowman \u0026 Littlefield Publishers","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51184920133906,"sku":"9781538181201","price":37.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_18f4fbdf-c7e8-4efd-bef5-654bfaba1385.jpg?v=1744582315","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/the-wire-a-cultural-history-9781538181201","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}